It's Their World
by storys217ph
Summary: We can only live under the weather.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 – HERMIONE'S POV

Is it me!? I'm in my body, but very much unlike myself. How did I find myself in such a situation, kissing Pansy Parkinson? She tastes of blueberry and her skin feels like satin as I move my hand beneath her shirt. I continue going up her bare side until she stops my hand.

"Hermione we can't! It's wrong!" She whispers.

I chose to ignore it, if that was even a choice. I feel like something else is driving the plot here and I'm just a passenger watching the scenery unfold.

"Stop!" She repeats more urgently.

I go on despite her wishes, which is something I'd never allow myself to do, but I'm drawn in by the smell, the taste and this fiery feeling. I grab her arm and twist it away behind her back. Nothing will get in my way, nothing but a hard wooden board.

"Ouch!" It got me right on the forehead! The board beneath the top bunk bed at the Burrow, that's where I am, I realize, at the family home of the Weasley family and right beside me isn't Parkinson, but Ginny.

"Hermione wake up! Dinner is ready! You're not gonna sleep the whole day, are you?!" She yells in my ear.

"What? What time it is?" I mumble blinded by the sudden sunlight.

"Past noon, so get up already!"

"Ok, I'll be down in a minute…" I manage and fall back on the bed.

It was just a dream, just an electrochemical stream, like a peek into a mirror that got shattered waking up. I so wish the feeling was real collecting the broken pieces in my memory. I was so happy in that moment with… whomever so perfect, and stripped of all the connotations that matter to my waking self? Oh… it was Pansy Parkinson, I recall now feeling unusually disgusted. I fucking hate her, and never had anything but violent conscious fantasies about her.

My stomach suddenly growls letting me know the priorities.

After a few days at the Burrow the school starts and we board the train like every year. That's where I happen upon Parkinson, in the train's hallway. I observe her self-absorbed posturing with a mixture of negative emotions, but I can't help noticing that she's gotten even prettier over the summer. That I can't deny though it's like a thorn in my side and just one of her undeserving possessions. Maybe that's why she's like that, or is it the egg before the chicken?

"What are you glaring at Granger? It's not contagious you know?"

"What?" I ask.

"Beauty of course." She smirks curving those dark blue lips. Is it blueberry, I wonder? Just like in the dream… I shake the thought away. Oh yea, she's well aware of how she looks and making no effort to conceal it, even rubbing it in, so I must make sure not to look her way at all. I won't give her that satisfaction, but first… I turn around to see her entering the Slytherin cabin, and just when I thought of a perfect rebuttal. What a shame that it's now wasted, 'cause I'm not about to go in there, not into that den of vipers.

But why am I even concerning myself with such matters? I should be worrying about school and exams, learning as much as I can so I can… The point of all this has become quite unclear. As if getting rid of the dark lord would fix anything, there'll always be another. There's always darkness in the absence of light, the two warring in so many different ways. Yes… the most I can achieve is happiness for myself, which I used to think was such a selfish, petty dream, but in fact is all there is and hiding behind every purpose.

The cabin door screech brings me out of my thoughts, so I flip around.

"Granger, you're still here?" Parkinson exclaims. "You're not stalking me are you?" She inquires jokingly.

"Yea, you wish." I rush off to my cabin.

The first days went as expected. It was fun catching up and learning what everyone did over the summer. It was an easy way to forget about the reality of our situation, the threat looming over the horizon.

However it didn't take long for the first activists to appear. I heard some Slytherins set up a table in the middle courtyard, and supposedly one other location in the castle. I was curious to see who it was. Expectedly I saw Parkinson and Greengrass surrounded by a small and mostly male audience. They handed out brochures along with free indoctrination to their cause.

But what was their cause? I was yet to learn, so I stop the first friendly looking student, requesting to see the brochure in his hand.

"Go get your own, there's plenty." The smug Ravenclaw says, not even slowing down his stride.

I'm not sure if he was trying to be rude or helpful, but that certainly doesn't help my situation. I have to see what's on these brochures, and though I'm sure one will end up in the bin eventually, I lack the patience to wait.

Seeing as the crowd dissipated I thought I might snatch one off the table unnoticed. Of course that didn't work, soon as I reached for the stack Parkinson stopped talking to her blonde friend and turned to me as if she had a supernatural sense of some sort.

"Granger…?! Go ahead and take one, though it's probably wasted on the likes of you."

I frown, but not willing to argue with her further I opened up the neatly folded brochure. No surprise there, the whole thing was basically a rant against Harry. Saying his presence here is a danger to us all, that we should surrender him to the dark lord or at least expel him in order to protect ourselves and our families. "Potter is holding the entire school hostage…!?" I quote loudly one of the last lines. "Are you seriously suggesting what's stated here?!"

"Sure I am! We have a petition to expel him. Wanna sign it?" Parkinson suggests spitefully, knowing full well I would never do that.

"You're despicable."

"Am I?! Let's examine that shall we? They say that every human life is worth the same, so let's assume that for a moment?"

"Ok…" I accept, stepping back to cross my arms.

"So do the math Granger! Are hundreds worth one Potter's measly life?!" Parkinson shrieks. Her shrill voice echoes trough the courtyard even startling poor Daphne right beside her, though I shouldn't say poor, that girl is just as mean herself.

I squeeze my brows, thinking how to argue with such logic. "Yea, but… what if it was you? What if you happen to be Harry?"

"I'd… do the right thing, of course… I'd give my self up." She says, though she did seem stumped, like it never crossed her mind before. I wouldn't be surprised.

"I doubt you'd do that Parkinson."

"And why is that Granger, because you wouldn't?! I'm not a coward like you lot, sitting idly by or just doing as you're told. I'm already doing something about the situation, and I plan to do a whole lot more!"

"You're making things worse! Why are you even doing this?! Just for the attention?! 'Cause I'm pretty sure you and your family are safe from any potential threat."

"How dare you?!" Parkinson snaps. With fire in her eyes she's attempting to break lose from Daphne's grip and pounce on me, but unable to do so, she gives up. "My family was never associated with death eaters! …and I won't stand for such slanderous accusations!"

"Alright, chill." I say taking another step back. That little outburst seemed oddly righteous and convincing. I wonder if she could actually be innocent it all this? Nah… but it was a skilled performance.

"The irony is you are smart Granger. You're one of the few people here who could actually make a difference…" She says unprovoked, sounding almost regretful.

My eyebrows go up. Is she being serious?

"…if only you weren't so brainwashed by the powers that be. I guess it's not your fault when you've only been fed lies, but I could show you the truth if you're really worthy."

"What are you on about Parkinson?"

"You wanna find out? Come to our club meeting tomorrow."

Daphne gasps grabbing hold of Pansy's shoulder.

"It's ok." Parkinson assures her turning back to me for answer.

As if I'd join her Muggle or whatever hating club… though it might be useful to scout the situation, to see if she's a nuisance or actually a threat. "So when tomorrow?" I ask.

"8 pm sharp, meet us at the clock tower courtyard."

I nod in agreement, curious, but still not entirely decided. "Hmm… what exactly do you intend to show me?" This at least I have to know.

"Just show up… or don't, it doesn't fucking matter." Parkinson says in an agitated and once more hostile tone.

I have a feeling another question might get me uninvited, so I head back up to Gryffindor common room.

Ron and Harry are already there drinking their hot cocoa by the fireplace and bantering about Quidditch. I'm only half-paying attention and they soon notice that my mind is elsewhere.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asks.

Reluctantly I tell them all about today's encounter with Parkinson and tomorrow's little venture.

They, of course, advise me not to go.

It could be dangerous, I know, but that's where also lies the thrill. I insist I'm able to defend myself against a dozen Parkinson's, if fact I'm a little disconcerted that they doubt in my ability, so much that I end up declining Harry's offer to go along under the invisibility cloak.

Tomorrow evening I make my way over to the clock tower courtyard. There I see three figures hunched over a scruffy parchment. Parkinson's bob hairstyle is easily recognizable, and there's Daphne to her right but I fail to identify the third girl.

"Hey!" I announce my presence.

"Granger?!" Parkinson turns around genuinely surprised to see me.

"I'm here, like we said, so…"

Parkinson looks down on her silver watch than stuffs it back in her pocket. "You're five minutes early."

"Yea, but so are you." I point back at them smirking.

"Fine, let's just go than." She orders and all four of us start moving up the path and trough the covered bridge.

"Where are going?"

"To the base… I mean our clubhouse first." The girl whose name I don't know comes over and starts walking by my side. "I'm Molly Harper by the way."

"Granger… Hermione." I reply and shake her hand. She's got a very friendly face, short dark hair and big brown eyes. She's quite pretty, though a bit shorter than the rest of us. I can see from her scarf and robes that she's in Hufflepuff, but I can't recall ever seeing her in classes.

"I'm a year bellow you." She explains as if she knew what I was thinking, she must have gathered from my puzzled stare.

"Oh, that explains it, I'm sure I'd notice you otherwise." I say getting slightly flustered underneath my scarf. That slipped out and sounded a bit corny, but Molly doesn't seem to mind the compliment.

"Thanks Hermione. I heard you where top of your class…"

Pansy sighs so loudly that it gets everyone's attention. "Will you just shut up Molly!? Focus on the mission!"

"What mission?" I immediately ask. What are they keeping from me?

"Your initiation…" Tall Daphne appears on my other side. "…it's just a test to see if you're worth a damn."

"And this won't be like one of those worthless school tests." Parkinson adds. "So it's important you don't know everything ahead of time, got it?"

"Alright." I accept. I can see they're making an effort to intimidate me with the secrecy, but I'm sure it will be easy for me, whatever they have in store.

We finally reach the graveyard and jump over the wall at a well selected spot. They've done this many times I'm sure, but there's no building in sight that could serve as a clubhouse, not except one rickety old tool shed. "I hope that's not it?"

"Don't be silly Granger." Parkinson says. "Just come along and stop assuming things, or at least keep your assumptions to yourself."

I do just that until we reach a mausoleum. This is one is up on a small hill and octagonal in shape. Daphne steps to the door and performs some complicated wand movement making sure it's blocked from my sight. The stone slab door slides down and we step into the darkness.

Someone lights up a candle before I am able to cast Lumos charm. Now illuminated by the candlestick I can carefully expect the interior. Quite cosy and they really made it their own as evident by all the decorations, torn off rugs and wallpapers, very likely stolen from Slytherin dorms or other places in the castle.

"It's nice." I have to give them credit, but before I can figure out what's going on they all start taking off their clothes and hurriedly tossing them aside. I really didn't expect to see these girls in their undergarments merely twenty minutes in. "What are you doing?" I ask looking around aimlessly and trying my best not to stare at any one of them directly.

"Put these on Granger." Pansy tosses over to me a pair of pants.

"Muggle clothes? But I'm already in those, they're underneath my cloak." I undo it to reveal my jeans and crimson woolly sweater.

"Good."

"So what are we doing in Muggle clothes?" I ask when everyone is nearly finished dressing.

"We're paying your favourite place a visit, the Muggle realm." Pansy explains.

Next I hear a loud metal clang and turn to see Daphne adjusting a long hooked metal rod on the inside of her coat. I'm really intrigued now, just what are they planning?

Carefully with her scarf Pansy takes out a large silver trophy from the nearby junk-filled coffin and places it on the central table where we gather round. "Alright, on three everyone touch the Portkey!" She orders immediately starting the countdown. "One… two…"

There's no time to reconsider anything so I outstretch my arm and throw all caution to the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2 – HERMIONE'S POV

We appear in a small countryside village and get on the main road after disentangling from a thick shrub. The place is pretty quiet in the evening, only a few pedestrians are to be seen, but soon there are none as we pass the buss station and move up to the gravel path. We reach a point where I can see a house in the distance. It looks fairly ordinary except for the old stone tower connected to its side.

"Alright, this is where we split." Parkinson announces to the group. "Remember no magic unless you really have to… and if Granger gives you any trouble just cut her loose."

"Don't worry she'll do alright… she better." Daphne adds, giving me a cold gaze.

I gaze right back at her unflinching.

"Go now, you're wasting time!" Parkinson chases us away.

Three of us make a wide arc around the house, all the way to the back where we find a manhole cover. Daphne lifts the cover with her hook tool and we descend down into the sewers. Luckily there is a stone path along the side so I don't have to muck my boots, but that doesn't help with the smell, or the rats squeaking in dark corners.

"We're breaking in somewhere, aren't we?" I ask squeezing my nose shut.

"Maybe." Daphne only says.

"You better tell me or I'm leaving."

"Leave than." She responds plainly.

I turn around and start walking, hoping they won't read the bluff.

"Hermione wait!" Molly rushes over and grabs hold of my arm. "Daphne we can tell her something, can't we?"

"Fine…" Daphne drones. "We'll break in from the back while Pansy distracts the old geezer at the front door."

"What exactly are you after?"

"Something…" Molly starts.

"…valuable." Daphne finishes her sentence vaguely.

"Valuable?! Really?!" I scowl.

"Not valuable in a monetary way Granger, we're not common thieves. Anyway that's all we're saying, so you better leave now if you don't intend to follow-through."

I keep moving, but take a moment to consider. I must be stupid agreeing to this ploy, but it's late to turn back now. I'm too intrigued not to see the end of it. It's been a while since I went this much off the beaten path, and not knowing what's to follow feels like a rush that I'm addicted to. "I'm with you alright, but if I sense any danger…"

"Sure." Molly accepts. "But don't worry, this should be easy."

"It will be easy." Daphne confirms. "We wouldn't bring a novice otherwise."

I smirk to myself, deciding to keep secret all the perilous situations I've been trough in the past.

The sewer tunnel leads us up into the back yard. We tiptoe over to the stone tower where Molly uses an unlocking charm on a sturdy wooden door. Slipping inside, we quietly shut the door behind us.

The room seems to be a wine cellar filled with many wooden barrels and shelves stocked full of bottles.

"Ok, Molly you take point, and you Granger keep watch here. I'll be floor above you, so let me know if you hear anything."

I nod and the two run up the narrow wooden staircase. Everything's seems quiet on ground floor until I hear something coming from the only other door inside this cellar. I gently put my ear against it, only to hear heavy footsteps getting louder.

I quickly jump into the closest dark corner behind one of the wine closets and crouch down drawing my wand. Warning the others is out of the question, I can't move off the spot lest I be discovered.

Heavy footsteps echo trough the room and next I hear the unknown person clearly struggling with something followed by a loud slam. I can only assume what's happening and grip my wand tighter. To my relief the person leaves shortly after, back trough the same door that, I presume, leads back to the main house area.

Stepping back into the open I am shocked to see a huge barrel placed right before the exit door and thus obstructing our only way out. How freakishly big that person must be to lug that thing around? I don't intend to stick around and see. My unlikely companions have not been honest, so it's time to get out of here… "Wingard…" I begin chanting the levitating charm, but Molly interrupts tackling me down to the ground.

"Stop! You mustn't!" She covers my mouth with both her hands and struggles to keep them there.

"What the hell?!" I snap, pushing her off.

"Get up Molly!" Daphne orders seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Granger, we can't use magic, Pansy says they can detect that." Daphne explains briefly before rushing over to inspect the barrel obstructing our escape.

"Who is "they" now!?" I whisper angrily. "I thought you said it was one old geezer in this place?!"

"No time to explain now, we have to move this thing!" Daphne insists.

"And how do you suppose we do that without magic?!"

Daphne ignores my question and orders Molly to pull on the barrel while she pushes from the other side. They struggle with it, but the thing won't budge.

I anxiously glance back. That giant could burst trough that other door at any moment while those two are now busy fiddling with the cork. As if that would help! Even if they manage to uncork the barrel, how long would it take for the liquid to pour out of that small hole?

"Just move over!" I snap losing my patience. "Just watch that door both of you! I'll move it myself!"

They're surprised with my tone, but realize we're out of options. "Good luck with that." Daphne drones sarcastically, but also does as I requested.

I tip the barrel slightly on first try, which is already a lot more than Molly and Daphne managed to accomplish. "See, you have to put your body into it." I explain catching my breath for another try.

"Go Hermione, you can do it!" Molly cheers me on and even Daphne glances over suddenly looking hopeful and surprised.

The second try is better, but still a no-go. "I'm just warming up." I say trying to sound confident.

Too many attempts will surely wear out my strength, so this must be the one, I decide. I give it all, straining against the weight, but the barrel is trying to knock me back with equal fervour. To surpass its will I must give it more than everything, ironically that might be the price of our survival.

The barrel tips over on its side and we roll it out of the way. Wasting no time we make our way back to the start location where Pansy is already waiting. "Did you get it?" She asks impatiently.

"Yes." Molly says as we get inside the tall shrub and gather round the Portkey.

We appear back at the mausoleum where Molly lifts up her hoodie to reveal a folded parchment tucked into her pants.

Parkinson grabs it off her and starts unfolding what looks like a large and fairly detailed map, but before I mange to get a proper look she hides it away from me. "Granger, could you wait outside a bit, we need to have a look at this alone."

"Are you serious?! I risked my neck for that and now you won't even tell me what it is?!"

"Come on Pansy, let her stay." Molly pleads on my behalf.

"Yea, she earned it…" Daphne even says to my surprise. "She saved both our asses."

"I don't care if she was useful, we can't trust anyone just yet. This is too important." Pansy stays unrelenting in the matter, and even though it's clear her friends don't agree, they don't attempt to argue any further.

And so I stand here feeling stupid as I gaze back at the three. "This is bullshit! You tricked me, plain and simple!" I snap.

"Calm down Granger. I understand how you must feel." Pansy says. "I'd probably feel the same, but you must understand it's even better if you don't know everything right now. For your safety I mean."

"What rubbish! Like you care about my safety, besides I can take care of myself just fine!"

"I know, but you should know that the place we raided was a Death Eater outpost, and…"

"Yea right!?" I spit sarcastically. "I've seen a few of those before and this looked nothing like it, there's usually a lot more guards walking about. And do you expect me to believe the Slytherin duo here is risking their lives fighting Death Eaters?! I don't think so!"

"Well it's clear that Gryffindors are still as prejudiced!" Daphne retorts frowning.

"Listen Granger…" Parkinson starts in a surprisingly softer tone. "I promise we'll tell you everything tomorrow when we decide what's next."

"Alright…" I accept. It's not like I have a lot of choice. "…but I'll hold you to that, you better believe it!" I say and go outside to sit on a flat rock.

After a few minutes I can hear laughter and celebration coming for inside and can't help feeling a bit left out. They're clearly happy with whatever is it that they got, could be a treasure map for all I know.

They step out of the mausoleum in much better spirits than before. "Thank you for saving us back there." Molly gives me a hug.

Daphne even gives me a half-hug and a compliment. "Yea, good work Granger. You're a lot tougher than I thought."

Only Pansy seems reluctant to go near me. "What did she do? You never told me."

"You should have seen it…" Daphne starts looking down at her watch. "…though we should probably talk about it on our way back. They're gonna close the castle gates soon."

Molly and Daphne shower me with compliments while describing my endeavour on our walk back. Even Parkinson throws in a subtle praise and I can't help letting go of earlier tensions. Maybe this is just a tactic to soften my resolve, but I also can't help thinking that it's somewhat genuine and even feel slightly saddened when the evening has to end.

"Granger come by tomorrow, same time, and I guess you know the place now." Pansy says.

I nod.

"And bring those powerful thighs!" Molly pokes some more fun at me, walking off alone in one direction.

"It's nice to finally have some muscle on the team!" Pansy joins in going towards the dungeons with Daphne.

Getting back to Gryffindor tower I trudge past everyone and go straight for the showers. Harry and Ron will just have to wait tomorrow for the story. I feel too exhausted now and fall asleep upon touching the white sheets.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 – HERMIONE'S POV

When tomorrow 8 pm finally arrives I make my way over to the graveyard.

"Hi everyone!" I burst trough the open mausoleum door and look around to see the place trashed to pieces. I see Parkinson kneeling among the wreckage and freaking out as Molly and Daphne attempt to calm her down, unsuccessfully so.

"What happened here?" I ask.

"You ought to know!" Parkinson springs up screaming and pointing at my face.

"How would I know?!"

"Because you stole the map! You've ruined everything!" She says nearly crying. "Are you happy now? Why did you do it, tell me? You want all the credit for yourself, is that it?!"

"No!" Is all that I can say after that barrage of accusations. "I haven't stolen anything!"

"Pansy I don't think it was her." Daphne suggests placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It makes no sense, besides she wouldn't be standing here, would she?"

"Yea." Molly agrees. "Perhaps it's them, maybe they followed us." She suggests.

"No, it was her!" Pansy snaps bursting into tears and falling down on her knees again. "You have no idea how hard I worked for this, and now it's all ruined!"

Daphne and Molly kneel beside Pasny and stroke her back. It looks as though she's calming down until she suddenly gets up and starts rushing towards the exit. "Leave me alone!" She pushes away Daphne and throws me a deadly stare before stepping out.

Three of us gather at the mausoleums entrance watching her wobble down the graveyard path.

"No." Daphne stops Molly from going after her. "You'll only make it worse. There's nothing we can do when she gets like this, believe me."

"You guys know I didn't do it right?"

"Of course we do Granger." Daphne confirms. "But you're gonna help us get it back, right?"

"I might, if I knew what exactly are we looking for? You were supposed to tell me today, remember?"

We go back inside the mausoleum where Daphne and Molly proceed to tell me everything they know. They explain the map is actually Death Eater's plans for attack on Hogwarts. It has been kept in a secret location which was the place we raided.

"…so you see that's why there weren't any guards." Daphne explains. "Because no one was supposed to know about it, but Pansy figured out a way to intercept their communications without them noticing. You see, this was her project from the start, before she even involved us and Patricia."

"Who's Patricia?" I ask.

"She left the group when things got a bit more dangerous, and that's when you came in. I was against it at first…" She looks down avoiding my gaze for a moment. "…but I'm sure glad you where there with us. I'm don't know what would happen if you weren't."

"Perhaps we wouldn't be standing here." Molly says.

"You don't need to thank me anymore. You've done that plenty, so let's just focus on what we have to do."

"I agree, what do you think we should do first?" Molly looks at me same as Daphne, patiently awaiting my response.

I didn't think they'd both look to me for answers, but since it's like that… "A bit of investigating is in order." I conclude. "It couldn't have just vanished, there's only ink that can do that, so someone took it and they must have left a clue doing so. So let's scour the place thoroughly, both inside and outside. Look for anything unusual, any object no matter how small that doesn't belong."

They do as I requested and after some time Molly beckons us over to a dried up thorn vine mounted to a wall beside the path. She points to a piece of fabric caught on the thorn.

I pick it up to take a closer look. The fabric appears almost translucent. I'm surprised that Molly even managed to spot it. "You have a keen eye Molly." I commend her.

Meanwhile Daphne comes over and leans on me to look over my shoulder. "What is it Granger?" She asks.

"Some sort of fabric I think."

"Yea, but why is it weird like that?"

"I don't know." I lie. "But this is a good start. It proves that someone was here, so let's keep searching."

We fail to find anything else before it gets too dark to see, so we leave agreeing to meet again tomorrow.

Upon retuning to the castle I first visit the main hall assuming that where I'll find Ron. As expected he's there stuffing his face and even attempting to drink pumpkin juice trough a mouth full of food. "Hey Ron! Just the man I'm looking for!" I put a friendly slap his back.

"Oh…?" He coughs up nearly choking.

"Sorry." I apologize. "I need a favour. I have to get a book from the library…"

"Forbidden section?"

"You know me too well… so could you hop up to your room and grab Harry's cloak for me."

"Why don't you just ask him?" He suggests, apparently not eager to cut his meal short.

"I looked for him everywhere, can't find him." I lie, hoping we don't bump into Harry on our way up to the common room.

When Ron hands me the invisibility cloak I rush into the nearest bathroom stall and get under to inspect it. After careful observation I manage to find a barely noticeable scratch on the surface. There's no doubt in my mind now that Harry was there, but he couldn't be the perpetrator. He was probably worried and followed me without my knowledge. That must be it. So I go back and hand the cloak back to Ron.

"So where's the book?" He asks.

"I didn't need it after all."

"Great." He drones sarcastically.

"So did Harry go out yesterday, maybe with this cloak?!"

"Well he asked me not to tell you, but… how did you know about that anyway?"

"Never mind, just tell me!" I urge him.

"Yes, he followed you under the cloak, just to make sure you're not in any danger."

"Tell him I didn't appreciate it!" I snap. "When you see him, that is."

For the next few days I meet with Daphne and Molly every day, but we fail to uncover any other clues, except for the one that turned out to be a dead end. The morale seems low and I doubt anyone believes by now that we will find the thief.

"Let's just grab a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks." Daphne suggests and Molly and I gladly accept.

We find a quiet spot in the back where they take a seat across from me and the waitress brings us three bottles of the famous drink.

"Have you seen Pansy these past few days?" Molly asks me first.

"I haven't actually, and that's probably for the best… Does she still blame me?"

"Don't know, we saw her only once and she completely ignored me and Daphne."

"Yea, she just walked right past us." Daphne confirms. "I think she's been skipping classes too. Pansy had some bad moments in the past, but I've never seen her behaving like this."

"Such a drama queen…" I infer.

"No, this really affected her." Daphne says ominously. "It's like she lost her entire purpose for living. I'm really afraid she might do something stupid."

"Like what, kill herself?"

"Must you be so blunt Granger?! But yes, I'm afraid she might hurt herself somehow."

"Well…" I sigh. "I suppose it is terrible to see something you've built up being shattered that easily, but she must realize nothing can be pardoned from the change, be it instant like a theft or slow and steady like decay."

"Wow, you seem wise Hermione, maybe you could talk to her?" Molly suggests.

"Me? Are you crazy? She thinks I sole the thing! I'll be surprised if she doesn't attack me on sight."

"But she won't even acknowledge our presence." Molly says while Daphne nods beside her. "We're just out of ideas…"

"Alright, I'll… give it a try." I give in.

I keep an eye out for Parkinson, but just like they said she's nowhere to be found. She really must be skipping classes, because even the Slytherins I approached claim not to have seen her.

This is actually not bad for me… And than she appears in my sight just as I thought I was off the hook with a clear conscience.

I follow her trough the hallways. She doesn't seem to have a direction, she even stops mid way up the staircase, perhaps thinking if it's worth to take another step, that or she could be aware of me, but that doesn't seem to be the case since she continues shortly after without looking around. Finally she goes into a bathroom at the end of the hallway. I go after her and into inside one empty stall. I hear her peeing in there so I wait until she's finished. "Parkinson…" I clear my throat. "…Pansy, you in there?"

After a few moments it's clear she's giving me the same silent treatment like she did her friends. She flushes the toilet and comes out to the sink where I'm already waiting. She's looking straight ahead, washing her hands and acting as if I'm invisible.

"Parkinson…" I begin, leaning on the sink. "Your fiends, they…"

"Friends!?" She snaps. "You mean those two that stabbed me in the back and took your side?! I don't have any friends!"

I'm already fed up with her at this point, but remembering my promise I chose to persevere. "You know that's not true, Molly and Daphne care about you."

"Nobody cares about me!" She flips.

"Listen, we're gonna catch whoever did it, trust me we already found some clues." I say at the end of my wits, not even sure why I'm making such outrageous claims.

"I don't care what you do! I don't care anymore, so just leave me alone!"

"Stop acting like a child!" I lose my patience. "Do you intend to mope instead of doing something that could help the situation?!"

She pulls out her wand and points it at my face. "Just stay away from me Granger!" She cries out, her voice almost cracking.

"Ok, relax…" I raise my hands defensively. She seems frenetic. Daphne certainly didn't exaggerate when she described her state, her face looks sullen and drained, like she didn't sleep or eat in days.

"I never want to see you again!" She screams before storming out.

I've managed to accomplish nothing… as expected. I even made things worse, but at least she didn't hex me, and I actually wouldn't mind not seeing her again… I think.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 – HERMIONE'S POV

After that little encounter with Parkinson I return to the common room and plop down on the couch next to Ron. "Where's Harry?" I inquire.

"I don't know. He's been disappearing a lot lately… I even woke up the other night and he wasn't in his bed. You don't suppose he's sleepwalking, or secretly meeting someone? Not you by any chance?" He asks with a concerned expression.

My expression is likewise that of worry, but for entirely different reasons. Hearing this reignited my suspicions about Harry. "Please Ron, there's something you must do for me right now."

"Alright, what is it?" He asks sounding startled by my tone.

"Go up to your room and dig trough Harry's chest… or wherever he keeps his stuff. Try to find a map, or just bring me any loose parchment you can find."

"But why?"

"Just do it please, I swear I'll explain later." With those instructions he rushes up to boy's bedroom and comes back with a thick stack of parchments in his hand.

I flip trough the stack luckily not finding what I was after, but standing there confused with Marauder's Map in my hand I notice that it feels heavier than I recall. Unfolding it I find Death Eater's attack plans, the very ones stolen from the mausoleum and purposely concealed here.

Now that I have a chance to inspect the map, I do just that. These are Hogwarts castle plans undoubtedly, but scribbled with green arrows and red lines, and there's also a peculiar symbol in the corner, a scarlet letter A. That's strange… shouldn't there be a Dark Mark there instead? What does this red A stand for? I wonder until Ron interrupts.

"Umm… Hermione… I think Harry's coming up here." I glance over to see him holding the Marauder's Map I threw away.

My eyes grow wide and I quickly start stuffing all of Harry's parchments underneath the sofa pillows. "Go distract him! Don't just stand there!" I snap at Ron but it's already too late, Harry barges in catching me red-handed.

"What are you doing Hermione?! Are those my…"

"This isn't yours Harry!" I point to the Death Eater plans in my hand. "Why did you steal this?"

"I didn't steal anything." He plays dumb. "But it looks like you're stealing it right now, so give it back Hermione!" He approaches me with an extended hand.

"Stay back!" I warn him drawing my wand. Harry does so too, all the while Ron stands there clueless and confused.

This can't be Harry, I reason. Someone must have taken his form, possibly a Death Eater, so I better act fast. I fire of a stunning charm that hits him on the shoulder and staggers him down to the floor.

Before he's able to get up, I run out of the common room. I'm not sure where to go next, but I keep running as fast as I can. I'm well aware he might still be chasing after me, so I must reach a safe place fast… and there's no place safer than headmaster's office.

"Professor Dumbledore…" Out of breath I find him in the hallway leading to his office. "There's a Death Eater impersonating Harry! We must capture him!"

Dumbledore takes me seriously, he know I wouldn't joke about this. "Get on the stairs Miss. Granger!"

I sit down on the phoenix staircase still catching my breath when they suddenly start moving up. "You'll be safe in there till I get back." Dumbledore says to me before rushing off.

I'm still fazed by this turn of events. I feel anxious and enthusiastic at the same time, that is until my mind exhausts every possible prediction, but the feelings fade after some time and I nearly get bored before the staircase finally starts rolling again.

Up come Dumbledore with restrained Harry, held by McGonagall and Snape on each side. They place him in the chair and use a vine rope charm to bind him to it. The headmaster and two professors start the interrogation. I'm not sure if they completely disregarded my presence or want me to witness this.

The impostor sticks to his story during the questioning, acting startled and confused, persistently claiming that he's the real Harry Potter. He's so convincing that even Dumbledore starts glancing over at me in the corner.

"How do we know Miss. Granger isn't making this up?" Snape is the first one to suggest.

"Oh come on! You haven't even determined if he's on Polyjuice or under Imperius curse and you wanna skip ahead to me?!" I snap totally forgetting I have a thing in my hand that could easily clear me of suspicion.

"She's right Severus, like it or not, we must be thorough. These are such times." Dumbledore says to my relief.

Next Dumbledore requests of Snape to go fetch his potion kit, so now that Snape is not in the room it feels like a perfect moment to bring up the attack plans. I hand them to Dumbledore and he inspects them murmuring trough his beard… "Seems authentic, but how did you acquire this?"

I tell him the whole story and explain how this map is not entirely mine to give. I name all of the involved after which he calls for Molly, Daphne and Pansy.

Meanwhile Snape returns with his potions and they immediately start testing the impostor Harry for the things that I requested as well as some other forms of identity theft that I wasn't aware of.

Surprisingly he comes out clean after every test. That really baffles everyone, possibly Dumbledore the most who paces back and forth before reluctantly requesting for Veritaserum to be used.

"Who are you?" He asks Harry after waiting half a minute for the powerful truth serum to take effect.

Harry starts struggling in his chair, possibly attempting to resist the potion, but he speaks at last. "My name is… Thomas Riddle."

"Riddle?!" We all exclaim simultaneously and Dumbledore's next question seems pretty obvious. "Are you related to Tom Riddle, also know as Lord Voldemort?"

"I'm… his son, named after my grandfather." He says.

"Where is Harry Potter?" I step in with a question of my own.

"He never existed, or… or rather he died as an infant."

"That can't be!" Dumbledore insists. "I carried you away to Dursleys when you where just a baby."

"That baby was a dummy whose place I took at the beginning of first year." Thomas Riddle says.

Everyone is speechless after that. Dumbledore seems most saddened out of everyone, but he furrows his brow and speaks first. "Please get him to a safe location. We'll question him more afterwards… and don't impart this information to anyone for now, not even your closest friends." Dumbledore turns especially to me.

"Of course, sir." I concur.

Snape and McGonagall put a cloth bag over Thomas Riddle's head and take him out of the room after which Daphne, Molly and Parkinson walk inside.

"What's going on Hermione?" Molly asks me whispering while observing the obviously burdened headmaster sitting at his desk.

"Miss. Granger told me what you have accomplished…" Dumbledore begins. "…and I want to commend you all for that, but also request of you to leave this kind of work to Aurors in the future…"

"To Aurors right…" Pansy drawls sarcastically. "…who've managed to do so little all this time…"

"What are you insinuating Miss. Parkinson?" Dumbledore asks politely.

"Nothing, just go on."

"Very well… I want you to know I intend to take these plans to the Ministry, right to the Minister of Magic himself, and I'll, of course make sure you receive proper credit, all of you and Miss. Granger."

"Where'd you find it Hermione?" Molly asks.

"It was… in Hogsmeade." I make up on the spot just to conceal Harry's real identity like Dumbledore requested. "So we should vote now, right?" I quickly change the subject. "I say we entrust this to headmaster Dumbledore, there's really no person more trustworthy in this school."

"I'm all for it as long as they don't publish my name or picture in the paper." Daphne says.

"Of course, the ministry will protect your identity if you wish." Dumbledore confirms.

"Molly?" I ask.

"Sure, same as Daphne, though I wouldn't mind some fame." She says snickering.

"You mean a Death Eater bounty on your head?" Daphne adds.

"On second thought, better not publish my name either."

"And you Parkinson?" I ask standing right in front of her.

She stares down at the floor, refusing to look up at me. "No, I'm against it."

"No?!" The rest of us exclaim.

"You know it's three against one Pansy?!" Daphne turns to face her.

"My vote is still no." She reiterates.

"We don't really need your vote Parkinson. Majority decides!" I snap. "Here you go sir." I hand over the plans to Dumbledore while she stands there moping.

"Miss. Parkinson I assure you…"

"Whatever!" She flips at the headmaster and rushes over to the phoenix staircase. "Just roll this thing down!" She very rudely demands.

Dumbledore obliges letting her leave. We stay a few more minutes in headmaster's office puzzling over Pansy's behaviour and even Daphne and Molly can't offer any excuse for it.

When we leave and start walking tough the corridor we encounter Parkinson there, frantically walking back and forth. "You're so stupid all of you!"

"And why is that Pansy?!" Daphne spits back at her.

"Why did you…!? You know without me you wouldn't have anything to give… you just don't get it…" She spouts appearing very exasperated.

"What are we supposed to get?! Tell us than!" I demand.

"Just forget it…" She concludes the conversations wanting to leave before Daphne steps right up to her.

"We're no longer friends, alright Pansy!" Daphne stabs a finger below her shoulder. "I thought you where just troubled, but now I can see you're actually insane!"

Pansy looks down at her shoes, and than at me looking like she'll say something, but she doesn't. She turns around and leaves.

"What's her problem?" I ask when she disappears. "Did you notice she didn't seem happy that we found the plans?"

"Yea, and now she's mad we gave it to headmaster, but won't tell us why." Molly adds.

"She's just crazy." Daphne summarizes. "I'm afraid some people are just beyond help."

I nod in response, really wishing that's not true. Seems like such a sad thing.

After that Molly and Daphne invite me for a drink to celebrate, but I refuse claiming I'm too tired. In actuality I just want to avoid all the questions they might ask me. I need more time to fabricate the details and leave Harry… or Thomas Riddle out of the story. I wave them goodbye and continue though the empty hallway.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 – HERMIONE'S POV

I need to relax and think trough this whole crazy day. No place better for that than the Prefects' bathroom on fifth floor. I sink into the bubbly bath, relaxing my body and leaning my head back on the edge of the pool. Now I can just drift and let my thoughts wander.

I can't believe that Harry Potter, one of my closest friends for years has been a lie, a fabrication for the purpose of this war. How can we even defeat an enemy so dedicated to their cause? It boggles my mind, but not more than Parkinson's behaviour, now that's a mystery. It's not like I expected her to thank me or anything… well I did, but she did exactly the opposite. She didn't seem happy about the recovered attack plans, nor whom we gave them to. Is there anything that would have pleased her? What is actually her problem? I wonder, also wondering why I'm even thinking about her after everything that happened. She's inconsequential to me…

I hear the door screech open and I freeze up in terror. I thought I locked it, in fact I know I did. Who could this be?

My first thought is to get my wand, but than I identify the silhouette approaching… "Parkinson!" I exclaim as she steps into the light.

She says nothing, only briefly glances down at me in the pool then drops something from her hand.

I can see the object as it feathers down to the stone tiles. "Is that Marauder's map?" I ask.

"Yea, they're not that uncommon…" She mutters and begins undressing right there in front of me.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" I look up at her still unreadable expression that only angers me. "Well don't expect me to leave, I was bathing here first!" I snap, and only saying that do I realize that I'm also nude above the surface, so I quickly put my arm over my breasts to cover up my nipples.

"Stay, we need to talk." Pansy says.

"Than talk! …but with your clothes on!" I demand looking shyly down as the upper portion of her school uniform hits the floor. Perhaps I should just leave now, but I hesitate doing anything rash. "Why are you…" I choke up, because she's fully nude by now. I can keep my sight up on her face for only so long before it slips down her white and flawless skin, like out of a dream, and all the way down to her freshly painted black toenails shining in the cool blue light.

"Relax Granger. We're both girls… so it's ok if we share a bath." She says sitting down on the edge of the pool, but she has no idea what's going through my mind and how fast my heart's beating.

I turn around. Only not having that perfection in my sight, am I able to speak again. "Parkinson you shouldn't be in here, this is very inappropriate!"

"It's fine. We'll just talk and… I can wash your back. Let me wash your back Granger." She repeats whispering almost pleadingly.

"Alright, if you must…" I accept, if that'll get her to leave.

She takes the floating sponge as starts moving gently down my back, and even though I'm turned around like this I maintain my arm over my nipples. I remain stiff, I can not help it.

"You're not comfortable, I can see. I'm sorry, I…" She drops the sponge and walks over to the other side of the bathing pool.

"No, it's just…" I turn around.

"Granger I'm sorry! I shouldn't have barged in on you like this, but…" Pansy says nearly sobbing. I can tell she's about to cry and I have no idea why, but I can't understand anything about her lately.

"Hermione…" She continues. "…you have no idea how strongly I desire you." She says with her back turned to me and sobbing in her hand.

She must have gone completely mad, because I can't believe hearing this. It must be some mistake. "Me? Are you sure you're…?"

"Of course I'm sure!" She snaps starting to sob harder.

"But you never said anything. In fact I thought you disliked me or even hated me, like recently…"

"I know. I couldn't deal with the fact that I can't tell you how I feel… and I couldn't just tell you for several reasons, one of which is…" She pauses crying harder.

"What?" I ask taking a step closer.

"Yes, you assumed right, my parents are involved with Death Eaters. In fact they're much worse than that…" She admits crying. "…and I almost became like them. I was going down that path… I was until I decided I wasn't going to!" She cries out.

"So that was the reason." I conclude remaining speechless beyond that. I can feel her pain as she sobs clinging to the edge of the pool and concealing her face from me.

I'm not sure how to help her, but I know I have to try as I draw closer with each step. Before I know it I'm already standing right beside her. I grab hold of her shoulders and flip her around into my arms. She trembles for a moment but soon relaxes into the embrace and continues sobbing on my shoulder.

Maybe it's not sensible to see her only as a victim, but I can't help it as I feel her tears drizzle down my neck. I stroke her silky hair which calms her as she slowly begins to wind down. The entire time I fail to realize our naked fronts are pressed together. Only now this comes to my attention, several minutes later when we split apart, but I still leave my hand on her shoulder and the other on her cheek, wiping the remaining wetness.

"I never really liked you Pansy…" I start, feeling very jittery myself. "…but that's because I never really knew you. I thought you where another mean and shallow rich girl. Clearly you're not that, but I still don't understand much about you. So please tell me everything, 'cause I want to know… and understand. And that's because… I love you as well… I think." I manage to utter scolding myself for that very apprehensive final statement.

"I'm so glad you feel the same, you have no idea." She smiles trough the tears, but suddenly turns serious. "Though you might hate me after I tell you the whole truth… I've come to know the truth is nearly always ugly, and this is no exception."

"Just be completely honest. That's all I ask."

"Alight, so here goes… Everything was fake, a one big set-up from the start."

"What was?" I let go of her and take a step back.

"The purpose of our mission, as well as the attack plans that we captured that day. The place was unguarded for a reason, and I'm so sorry I used Daphne, Molly and you to pull this off… but I had to do it."

"You were forced to?" I ask, really hoping she'll say yes.

"In a way…" She snuffles. "The fake plans we acquired where meant to reach somebody important, someone like Dumbledore, but the story and the messenger also had to seem trustworthy."

"The messenger… you mean me?!" I snap.

"Yes, I'm sorry! I was gonna hand the plans over to you after a few days. You would have been suspicious otherwise, but than they unexpectedly got stolen… but somehow you recovered them and handed them right to Dumbledore. You did what I planed from the very start, only I don't want that any more. I feel terrible for using you like this…"

"It was Thomas Riddle who stole them." I interrupt. "He was posing as Harry Potter this whole time, but don't tell anyone I said that."

"So they captured him? Good. I never liked him. He was always trying to one up me."

"So you weren't working with him?"

"No, he was acting on his own." She says.

I exhale with relief. That makes me feel better, but it still doesn't explain a lot of things. "So who where you working for Pansy? And what's the point of handing a fake attack plan to Dumbledore?"

"You see, the whole Hogwarts attack is a diversion." She explains. "Even those brochures I handed out at the beginning of the year where for the same purpose, to bring attention to this possible attack that was never meant to happen."

"A diversion…" I mutter starting to connect the dots. "Could the Death Eaters be planning an attack somewhere else?"

"Possibly, but it's not really the Death Eaters you see. They're just pawns, most of them are soldiers with a double-digit IQ, but their leadership, of course, is in on the game. There's a far more sinister organization behind the Death Eaters and even the Ministry. Did you notice in the corner of the map, a small, very inconspicuous letter A?"

"I did actually." I gasp.

"The A stands of Archons. They're the secret organization that's actually running things from behind the curtain, and one of their most prominent members is my father."

"Oh… so that's why you had to do all this." I offer an excuse, but she doesn't take bait.

"No, I shouldn't have done any of it Hermione, but the truth is I was scared…"

"Scared of what?"

"I was afraid of losing the growing respect my father had for me." She looks away. "As a kid I thought he could do no wrong, but than I heard them talking once as they played cards at the mansion, my father and few others who are the innermost circle of this criminal organisation. They where just leisurely discussing whose house was gonna burn next or what else they could have Death Eaters do. It was incredibly evil and Machiavellian, and yet it all seemed normal to me at the time… until I realized what disaster they where causing, those… self proclaimed rulers of the fucking universe!" She slams her fist against the edge of the pool and yelps in pain holding her wrist, but that doesn't faze her for long. Soon she continues. "So you see my father was a big influence. He was setting me up to hate the world, much like he does, I imagine, and there was no one else to steer me any other way."

"What about your mom?"

"I'm not sure she's even fully aware of everything that's going on. We certainly never talked much, she was always too busy with her expensive outfits and house parties made for these distinguished criminals."

I lean back and take a moment to absorb everything she said while gazing up at the stone ceiling. "Why would anyone do all this? Why incite war and watch people die?"

"Because there's a lot of money to be made from war… What do you think people will do once war starts coming out of every newspaper? Throw money at the Ministry of course, but that money won't be used for their protection. It'll pour right into pockets of the people like my father, ruthless and indifferent like nature. They're not like the rest of us Hermione, they're like oil when you pour it in the water, they end up on top and there's nothing we can do about it."

"There's a lot we could do about it!" I argue. "First we should inform Dumbledore that the plans are false."

"I guess we could, but what's the point? They'll cover their tracks somehow and think of something new, they'll adapt like they always do."

I grab her hand and give it a quick kiss. "I understand why you feel so discouraged. I used to think like you before all this. It seemed pointless to struggle against this nature of humanity like you so well described it, but I believe now that the struggle is the point. The things you said at the beginning of the year make more sense now…"

"All that rhetoric was false, remember?"

"Maybe, but I found truth in it. My perspective has changed, irrevocably so after I witnessed two Slytherins, a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor working together. If there's a power that can bring us together, I can't turn my back on it. Like you said, I can't stand idly by."

"Once again, I lied when I said that."

"But you can do the right thing now! We can really change things Pansy, be it just a little while."

"I don't know… It's their world Hermione, and best we can do is live in this coincidentally created landscape formed by the underlying nature of it. We won't achieve much going against it, and possibly get hurt. We may scratch the surface, but the core remains unreachable."

"Than what do you suggest we do instead?!" I snap.

"Nothing really, but I won't do anything else my father requests. I'll disobey and pay the price for it. I'm sure he'll shun me for a while, maybe even impose some psychiatric help, but I'll be alright. I don't think he'd ever actually hurt me, he's still my father."

"I'll tell you what you'll be then!" I snap. "Sad and alone watching the world burn from the windows of your safe little mansion, and I won't be joining you there! So have some courage for once, or we have nothing else to talk about!" I turn around wishing to leave the pool.

"Please stop…" She grabs my arm and pulls me back. "…please don't go! We'll do something alright? You're right, we should at least try."

"You really mean that? I don't want to force you into anything… though I would feel obliged to fix the mess I made if I was in your shoes."

"You're right. I think I do owe that to… everyone I guess. It's just that I've always been so afraid, so please don't hold it against me."

"You don't have to fear, I'll take care of everything if you just stand by me." Feeling a bit guilty now, I close in for a kiss.

We start kissing more passionately and forget everything for a moment, until the moment passes and I realize Dumbledore could be heading over to the ministry with the false attack plans. "We have to warn Dumbledore right now!" I exclaim jumping out of the pool and helping Pansy climb up as well. Still awkwardly glancing at each other we get dressed rather quickly and set out for the headmaster's office.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6 – HERMIONE'S POV

"What are you two doing here at this hour?" Snape intercepts us on our way to Dumbledore's office.

"We could ask you the same thing professor?" I spit back.

"Very well Miss. Granger, that'll be -50 points…"

"That really doesn't matter now! We need to talk to Dumbledore, it's urgent, so can you tell us where he is?!" I demand.

Snape makes quite a unique expression, looking like he's about to spit fire at me but he suddenly relaxes his posture and stares me down with a piercing glare. "I believe the headmaster just left, but you don't have to take my word for it."

"We won't!" I grab Pansy's hand as we take off for the Phoenix staircase. Unfortunately we find only professor McGonagall inside, and she confirms that Dumbledore just left for the Ministry and won't be back until tomorrow morning.

"I hope tomorrow won't be late." I conclude as me and Pansy stroll aimlessly trough the hallways.

"Aha, tomorrow…" She mutters. "…but what do you wanna do now?"

"Go to sleep, I guess."

"Oh…" She drones sounding disappointed.

"Did you have something else in mind?"

"No, I guess I'm pretty tired myself." She says yawning. "But I don't wanna go back to the dungeons. I don't feel like talking to anyone tonight. I just want to hide out somewhere… with you."

"Like where?"

"I suppose we could go back to Perfects' bathroom, though it'd probably be uncomfortable to sleep there…"

"I could fetch some blankets from my room?" I suggest getting the idea. "Go wait for me there!"

"Alright, but don't get caught." She adds as we split ways.

"Relax! Detecting Filch is practically my sixth sense."

I sneak into my room and grab the heavy blanket of my bed as well as a spare one sitting on a nearby shelf. I fold them up so they're easier to carry and head back down trough the common room where I spot Ron approaching.

He wouldn't let me go without asking some questions, rightfully so, but I wouldn't be able to answer most of them truthfully. Lying takes a toll on me, it's too much effort, and truth is pure and simple, but far too often a luxury. So, feeling quite guilty I duck behind the wall and let him pass, but the guilt doesn't linger. I'm too anxious to get back to Pansy and can't think of much else at the moment.

I walk inside the empty Perfects' bathroom and drop the blankets on the floor. "Pansy?" I call out getting slightly worried. "Pansy?!" I call out louder.

She surfaces form beneath the pool. "I'm here. Sorry, I had to take another dip to cool off. It's kind of hot today."

"It is." I smile back at her with relief.

We lay down on the blankets after she dries off. She turns on her side already dozing off while I stroke her arm and kiss the back of her neck.

"Let's just sleep Hermione, I feel so exhausted."

I believe her. She must have cried a river earlier and I can't say I feel fresh myself. "Just one more kiss then?"

"Ok." She obliges before going back to sleep.

I lay on my back staring up and thinking how the world just got better, even after everything I've learned. The corruption doesn't really surprise me, but I never knew how deep Pansy was in it. It must have been hard growing up and concealing all that inexplicable anger… and uncontainable, but I can't really blame her for all that bully behaviour. It's in the past… no, it's forgotten after everything she's been trough. Perhaps no one is to blame for anything? All our wills are backed into a corner, but choosing sides is a necessity, so come tomorrow I feel hopeful that we'll come to change the world.

We wake up to find the world has changed without our interaction. There's definitely a buzz in the air as we move trough the overcrowded hallways picking up little bits of conversations, all seemingly about the same topic. The topic becomes quite clear as we see the first group of Aurors and than another after another. The place is swarming with them.

"This is bad." Pansy whispers in my ear.

"I know, but it's still not too late to send them all back. We have to go to Dumbledore right now!"

"Umm… Hermione, when we tell the headmaster the whole story, won't I be…"

"Don't worry, you won't go to Azkaban." I assure her. "You're underage, besides he'll believe you if I vouch for it. Tell him you were forced to do it, that wouldn't be a complete lie, would it?"

"I guess not." She smiles.

When we get there Dumbledore is reluctant to receive us and barely does so after much insistence on our part. Unlike I imagined he doesn't believe anything we say. I'm perplexed by the situation and unsure what to do before Pansy pulls on my sleeve and beckons me to leave the headmaster's office.

"They replaced him, don't you see?!" Pansy snaps once we're alone in the nearest empty classroom.

"Oh my god, I think you're right! What are we gonna do now?"

"What can we do?! Either this was their plan from the start, or Dumbledore got suspicious along the way so they sent someone in his stead? I told you they'll adapt!"

"Just think, isn't there someone who could stop all this?"

"What are you suggesting?" She asks.

"Your father Pansy, we could talk to him! If you tell him how you really feel about what he's doing…"

"You think he'd change anything for me?! His life is his grand plan and I am just a part of it, besides he can't change things by himself, there are other Archons to consider, he can only so much influence their opinion."

"What else should we do than?!" I demand.

"There's nothing we can do, like I said. We should just stay here…" She suddenly clings to me and kisses my cheek. "At least we know this place is safe."

She's right it's safe here, although… "I don't want to be safe!" I snap pushing her away, and dreading how close I was to giving in. I walk over to the window to avoid her gaze. I really don't want to fight with her again, but there seems to be no other option. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I could have stopped a disaster and didn't even try!"

"Always a hero…" Pansy leans back on a desk looking at me with a mixture of pride and despair. "…and I'm such a fool thinking I'd survive forever with my cowardly ways. I'll do anything you want anyway… you must have figured that out by now?"

"No, I don't want it like that, you should…"

She walks over and stops me placing a finger over my lips. "I should do the right thing from now on. Just keep reminding me until it sticks, alright? You're right… there is a chance my father will listen to me. I just didn't want to confront him. Once again, I'm scared."

I squeeze her hand. "I'll be right there with you."

"Thank you Hermione, that'll make it so much easier."

We kiss until some Ravenclaws barge into the empty classroom. We push out through the group followed by several whistles and comments. That is however least of our concerns, we need to act fast because every second could be essential, so we agree to fetch our stuff for the trip and meet down at the train station.

Once we're at the station 9 and ¾ in London we board a second train, an overnight one that will take us to the other side of the country where the Parkinson manor is located.

Pansy forgot to bring her pyjamas so I give her one of my shirts to sleep in. We lie down in the bed looking at each other in the belly of this large mechanical snake. We're set on our track in more than one way and moving at great speed. There's a great pressure on Pansy chest, she can barely breathe, and I can feel it too. There's so much unpredictability to come. It's nerve wrecking, so I reach into my backpack and take out my cassette player. "Listen to this." I put one earphone in her ear.

"I think I like this muggle music." Pansy says after a while.

"It can record too." I push the red button and speak into the microphone. "I love you." I say and then replay it.

"Neat, I'd like to keep that, in case you change your mind." She jokes.

"I won't." I kiss her feeling content that I've been able to relax her.

We entwine our limbs and drift sleep like so. I wish tomorrow never came, but than there may not be today and this moment I never wish to move beyond, Pansy sleeping on my shoulder and the smell of her hair.

So comes tomorrow and the blinding light as we step outside the train. We walk trough the village silently. Pansy looks down at her feet while I look around. It's all new to me, though the village seems nothing special, nothing screams like the place for the obscenely rich. That is until we reach the Parkinson manor, a structure that portrays an ancient sort of wealth, deliberately propped up on a hill above all the commoners. Just like in the old days, and much unlike where I grew up, where everyone is perched on equal level or flattened underneath the weight of such hill structures and their residents.

We walk up the path passing by perfectly cut hedges and stone statues of wizards looking deep in thought. The place is incredibly beautiful, so much I'm momentarily lulled into an idea that Pansy and me are just here on vacation with our luggage.

The maid greets us at the door and takes our bags. From there we go to visit Pansy's mother. We find her in the garden idly sitting with a cup in her hand.

"Hello mother." Pansy says giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Pansy what are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to say hi, I need to talk to dad."

"Well, you know where to find him." The woman says before we move on.

I wave her bye but she barely takes notice. She didn't seem interested to learn who I was, nor pressed to know why her daughter is back from Hogwarts this early. That just seems ice cold and matching Pansy's description. I hope she's not right in all of her predictions.

We move trough the mansion incredibly decorated with wall paintings and numerous ancient artefacts. The place is like the history of civilisation crammed inside one structure. I really wish we could look around, but that thought dissipates as I see Pansy's expression. Incredible as it may seem to me, this place may not bring her any pleasant memories.

Finally we reach the heavy oak doors where Pansy stops and takes a deep breath. "My father's study…" She explains.

"Wait, what's his name?"

"Darius." Pansy says.

"Ok." I nod. "I thought I should know, now let's go in."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7 – HERMIONE'S POV

We walk in to find a man in a long green overcoat hunching over the wrong side of his spacious wooden desk. When he turns around I can see his clean shaved chin and slicked back raven hair. There's only a slight resemblance in facial structure between him and Pansy.

"What are you doing here Pansy… and who is this?" Darius Parkinson motions to me.

"Hermione Granger, sir." I introduce myself taking a step forward to shake his hand.

He seems stumped at first by my forwardness, but soon recoups. "Hermione… that's and unusual name."

"Thank you." I respond.

"It wasn't a compliment." He says rather rudely at which point Pansy steps in between us.

"Dad we need to talk." She says seriously.

"Alright, I have some spare time…" He accepts. "I imagine you'll tell me why you're here. I suppose there's reason for it, though I can't think of one at the moment."

"There's a reason." Pansy confirms as all three of us sit down at the small round table by the window.

Darius pours himself some liquor just barely covering the bottom of the ice filled glass. He must be the sort who drinks in moderation. It's reasonable to assume he wouldn't let anything control him, but he must control everything, which may be our difficulty here.

"I did everything you asked of me… as you know…" Pansy starts reluctantly. "…and subsequently you've been able to move forward with your plan…"

"Pansy, we should discuss this in private." Her father interrupts as soon as he realizes the topic of the conversation.

"No! Hermione already knows everything."

"Why would you tell…" He takes a gander at me. "…someone our family secrets?! I thought I didn't have to make it clear…"

"She's not just anybody, she's my girlfriend alright!" Pansy leans over and kisses me on the lips as if she had to demonstrate the proposition.

"That's disgusting Pansy, but I don't have anything against it as long as you get married. You have to appear respectable, and have a child of your own blood…"

"Is that what you and mom did?" Pansy interrupts.

"We get along fine, but that's not the issue here. Explain to me why you're here, 'cause my patience is wearing thin!"

"Alright…" Pansy takes a deep breath. "Dad, I want you to stop the plan, cut your ties with Archons, and expose them to the world!"

Darius smirks at this, like it's all one big joke. Must be to him, but it disgusts me. I'm not surprised by the irony that such people often take the places of power and authority. They're the ones that care the least about the world, and somehow manage to convince everyone otherwise.

Pansy seems feed up with it as well. "I'm serious!" She slams her fist on the desk after a moment of silence.

Darius gets up and walks over behind Pansy's chair. "So passionate this one…" He ruffles her hair addressing me before Pansy smacks away his hand. "…but she needs to learn to control it."

All I can do is grip my wand inside my pocket. This isn't going like we planed, well… like I planed. Pansy warned me of this and the situation is getting even more unpredictable.

"Please dad, I beg you to reconsider." Pansy attempts with a softer voice. "Just think what you're doing to people…"

"Since when do you care?"

"Since awhile now, but you never cared to listen!"

"I care much about you Pansy, you must know that." Darius pauses. "And I've always let you learn from your mistakes, but some mistakes I just can't let you make. You understand, don't you?"

Everyone is silent after that. Pansy and her father remain like statues gazing at each other.

"Pansy?" I ask unsure what going on, perhaps some telepathic conversation I'm not privy too.

Suddenly both of them draw wands, but Pansy is slightly faster than her father. Her stun charm hits Darius on the chest and knocks him back into the corner wall. His arm even cracks one of the nearby windows.

"Pansy…?!" Darius mutters like he can't believe what just occurred, but he's already crawling towards the wand that Pansy dropped from her hand. She's still in shock about striking down her father and unable to move, so I jump over and kick her wand away from Darius' reach.

"You did the right thing Pansy!" I assure her placing my hand on her shoulder and planting a kiss in her hair. Then I point my wand down at Darius. "Get up slowly and sit in that chair!" I order. "I won't hesitate to blast you trough those windows!"

Looking me in the eye he finds my statement to be true and does as I requested after which I use a spell to bind him to the chair.

"What now?!" Pansy panics picking up her wand from where I kicked it to. "What do we do Hermione?! Just get out of here?!"

"No, we're too deep in this now, we have to follow trough." I conclude. "I wish I knew how to cast Imperius…" I say turning my gaze back to Darius. "Pansy do you know?"

"Pansy you wouldn't resort to that…" Darius interjects. "…on your own father?"

"No, I… don't think I could do it… nearly as effective." Pansy stutters barely finishing the sentence.

I'm not certain that's the truth, but I don't want to press her any further. All of this must be very hard for her.

"Good girl." Darius commends his daughter with a smirk. "Now stop this madness and release me…"

"Shut up or I'll bind your mouth too!" I spit at him. "You know she told me this might happen, I just couldn't believe someone could be so heartless, but we'll fix that. We'll make sure you and your companions end up where you belong."

"By all means try. You'll save me the trouble of hunting you down later." Darius says with such confidence that startles me, but I won't let them win.

Suddenly I get an idea. "Pansy does this house have a good stock of potions?"

"Yea, down in the basement." She says.

"Than go bring me Veritaserum and Polyjuice, and also get my backpack."

"What's your plan?"

"I'll explain, just go fast."

When Pansy leaves it's just me and Darius inside the room. He looks at me for a long time before finally deciding to speak.

"It's not too late to reconsider this, you know? You could still leave and live out the rest of your pathetic days."

There's the chink in his armour, I feel I'm onto something now. "I don't think so." I respond.

"She'll forget you, you know? Pansy is like that, she's like me, adaptable."

"She's nothing like you, so keep your mouth shut. There'll be a chance to talk once we administer the Veritaserum."

"You think she loves you, and cares about you? Such a foolish girl… What Pansy has now is only a temporary and distorted view. You don't know her like I do, she's had so many obsessions in the past, all so important at the time and yet…"

"Shut up!" I snap. "You can't make me doubt our love, if there's anything true in this world, anything you haven't yet corrupted, it is that! You're just scared of what I'm about to do, you're in trouble and you know it!"

"You wish." He smirks, but I catch his lip quiver. Did I saw that, or was it my imagination?

When Pansy returns with everything I requested we proceed to question Darius about the Archons. We learn the location and the time of their next meeting. It's in just a few hours. This is very convenient and probably the only window of opportunity we'll get to infiltrate the Arhcons and acquire the evidence to expose them.

I drop a pinch of Darius' hair into the Polyjuice and explain to Pansy that I plan to tape the entire thing with my cassette recorder hidden in the inner pocket of the coat.

"Just be careful!" She pleads hugging me once more.

"You're don't know what you're doing girl. You'll get hurt." Darius warns me. "Where did you find her Pansy? Hogwarts I imagine, the place for the intellectually inferior. Pansy she's not fit to shine your shoes and you're letting he pull you into this? Listen to your father…"

I cast a binding charm around his mouth now. "That's better." I say turning back to Pansy. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. With all the information we have, I can't imagine how it could go wrong." I say opening the flask.

"Do it outside please, I don't want to see you change… into him."

"Alright, but keep this door locked and keep your eyes on him until I return."

"I won't let him out of my sight, I promise, just return to me. I love you." Pansy says blowing me a kiss as she grips her wand tight in the other hand.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 – DARIUS' POV

I walk into the meeting room followed by my two bodyguards who are restraining my restless daughter.

"What is this?" Cornelius Fudge, the former Minister of magic and now an esteemed member of the Archons club stands up from the round table looking confused after seeing me next to my double.

"Sit down Fudge!" I put him in his place. He likes to think he holds more weight around here. "Gentlemen, I'll clear this up in a moment." I draw my wand and cast a spell to expose Hermione Granger's true form.

"Hermione, he called for help somehow! I don't know how…" Pansy screams out trying to break free, but the grasps of two large men are more than plenty to restrain her.

"It's ok Pansy." Granger attempts to falsely comfort her while the room fills with the whispers of my colleagues.

"It's really not ok Miss. Granger. You must realize we can't just let you go after this. You know too much, and you've seen all of us here." I explain.

"I swear if you do anything to her, I'll kill you myself!" Pansy screams while tears form in her eyes.

I really hate to see her like this, but it can't be helped. My colleagues seem to be enjoying the family drama, vultures all of them, but I'm here to dissuade them from turning on me. I'm here to show no emotion or weakness whatsoever so they know my place is on the top.

"Oh, Pansy…" I start. "All of this is for your own good. You'll thank me in a few moths or a year, whatever it takes. You'll say what you do every time… dad you where right, you knew better."

"I never meant it you fucking psychopath!"

"I know you think that now, but that's why I brought you here, so you could learn a lesson." I turn to the gathered. "I know we don't have a lot of women at the moment, but believe me she's gonna be among you someday. She's truly gifted and she understands the world, but she still has a lot to learn."

"That's alright, we've all been young." Someone throws from the crowd.

"Naturally." I confirm and next turn to Miss. Granger who's now also restrained by two members of the meeting room security. She looks pitiful in my oversized clothes that hang on her like on a clothes rack. Whatever did Pansy see in her? "Take her to the wall." I order.

Two guards take Granger to the back of the large room were we've dealt with other traitors in the past. They put her legs and arms in cuffs mounted to the wall and move aside as I prepare to use the killing curse. I'm not gonna enjoy this, but it must be done, there's no doubt in my mind and even the incoherent screams of my daughter are hardly a distraction. "Bind her mouth." Still I order, it's disgraceful to hear my daughter beg for this girl's life.

I focus back on Granger and raise my hand aiming the wand right at her chest. "Any last words?"

"None for you!" She turns her head to Pansy. "I love you." She says in tears, but calmly closing her eyes before facing forward again.

"That's it? You thought that was gonna save you?" I laugh wholeheartedly, but only to disguise how puzzled I am by this girl's reaction. She keeps silent, keeps her eyes closed in the face of death. Is that so Pansy would be her last image in this world? I'll give her that much I suppose. I'm not a cruel man, but business takes priority, and business is for the family. Family is the core… you can't splinter it any further than that.

From my right I hear what sounds like growling. Pansy must be out of her mind by now. I'm even scared to look her way. I better end this fast. "Avada Kedavra…!" Finishing the incantation Pansy flies into my view.

Pansy takes the hit meant for Granger and falls lifeless to the ground.

"Pansy?" I ask taking a step closer. "Pansy?!" I scream falling to my knees. This can not be real, she must be asleep, I conclude. "Pansy wake up!" I demand shaking her by the collar as her arms flail about, but she disobeys me yet again!

I grasp her slim fingers, now even paler then usual and cold like piano keys in the winter. There's nothing left of her, she can't be in this sack of nothing! I let the body drop. I can't stand to look at it anymore.

I look at the hardwood floor still gripping the wand in my hand. I could kill Granger and perhaps those two imbeciles that failed to restrain my daughter… but what would that accomplish? They'd fire back. It's to be expected of men whose loyalty is only bought with gold. I throw away my wand before I do anything rash and my rage subsides.

Tears drop to the floor and I check my eye to see it's real. I don't believe I cried since the day I first saw Pansy, since I first held her up in my hands all wrapped up in that frilly cloth from the nursery.

The world blurs away. There's hardly anything left but my sorrow, but Granger's screams bring me back to reality. She demands the same fate as Pansy. The next time I look up I see her dead body being dragged away.

"Wait!" I crawl over. "That's my best coat!" I say taking it off her and stand up on my feet. I wipe off the last tear and turn to the gathered. It's pointless to say anything, they've already begun plotting to take the emptied seat, I can see it in their eyes, but none of it concerns me anymore.

I've lost everything that matters. I've been a machine until my heart broke. If my daughter ever loved me I didn't deserve it. I don't deserve to die now. My life will be my punishment, my unbearable sentence. Nothing can bring my Pansy back, but I'll make sure her life meant something.

Yes… I'll do exactly what she asked. With this recording form Granger's coat I'll end this greedy, festering abomination that's feeding on the flesh of the innocent! I'll break this chain of the centuries! I have to, I owe them everything, my daughter whom I never known and never loved, and Hermione Granger for whom I have the greatest admiration now. And things will finally change.

THE END


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